Prince Oba'lumo
Ọbalúmọ̀ or Ọba'lúmọ̀ , (a contraction of Ọba Olúmọ̀), is the titular name of the founding king of the ancient Ìsèdó-Olúmọ̀Excerpt from the oral records of Ìsèdó-Olúmo
Some oral history accounts ascribe a personal name of Tìímọ̀ (pronounced Tì-í-mọ̀) to the first king of Isedo. Other oral history accounts suggest that Tìímọ̀ was simply the reigning Ọba'lúmọ̀ at the time of contact with the migrating group of one of the two factions departing from Ila Yara, whose leader founded Ila Orangun adjacent to Ìsẹ̀dó, the kingdom where Tìímọ̀ was reigning as the then Ọba'lúmọ̀. ''Our father the Ọba'lúmọ̀ Tìímọ̀ led one of the major migrations from ancient Ọ̀bà, perhaps as a result of the periodic conflicts with his people's Nupe neighbours to the north. It is due to our being of his blood that we call ourselves the Omo Ọba’lúmọ̀ n’Ìsẹ̀dó ("children of King Oba'lumo"), Ọmọ ọrọ̀ l’Ọbà ("children of the people of Oba") and Omo'ba Olúnlákin ti Ile Oba ("children of the great king Olùnlàkin of Obà"). These are our oriki as his descendants.''Dating the Ìsẹ̀dó-Olúmọ̀ city-state
Oral history analyzed in the light of recentRelationship with neighbouring city-states
Records of ancient origin ascribe the role of land-grant authority to the Ọba'lúmọ̀, monarch of Ìsẹ̀dó. Some oral historians report that at the request of Oduduwa's fourth son, Fagbamila, nicknamed and later styled Ọ̀ràngún, the region's king Ọba'lúmọ̀ gave land-grants to the later arriving Ọ̀ràngún immigrants at a location sufficiently distant from Ìsẹ̀dó’s location. Another, seemingly more reliable version of the oral history, indicates that the land-grant occurred a few centuries later, when the faction of the younger of two quarreling princes arrived from the Ìlá Yàrà realm in the vicinity of the Ọba'lúmọ̀'s Ìsẹ̀dó kingdom. This younger prince, Arutu Oluokun, founded Ila-Magbon. This new monarchy was forced to move within a short time to establish another settlement at Ìlá-Ogbogbo (or Odò-Ìlá) (meaning Ìlá of the lowlands) which is the settlement that became the modern Ìlá Ọ̀ràngún. An annual celebration called the Ìmárúgbó (or Òkùnrìn) festival was instituted between the two city-states during which the King Òràngún leaves his palace with his chiefs to pay a day-long homage to the King Ọba'lúmọ in the Ọba'lúmọ̀'s palace. This is partly in symbolic tribute to Ọba'lúmọ̀'s land-grant and his precedence over the Òràgún in the region, and partly in appreciation of Ọba'lúmọ̀'s hosting of the Ọ̀ràngún's elderly mother, who could not continue with the immigrant party to their allocated land. The Ọ̀ràngún's mother subsequently died in the palace of the Ọba'lúmọ̀, and was buried at Ìsẹ̀dó, so the Ọ̀ràngún also visits her grave there. The older Ọ̀ràngún monarch's faction, departing the Ìlá Yàrà realm, established a new settlement called Igbohun. After a few other re-settlements, the modern Òkè-Ìlá Ọ̀ràngún was founded near the original Igbohun. The Ọbaálá clan of Òkè-Ìlá Ọ̀ràngún, according to their histories which refer to their origin from Ìsẹ̀dó, is actually a segment of the Ìsẹ̀dó royalty which emigrated several centuries ago at the invitation and inducement of the Orangun Apakiimo to join him to found his new kingdom at Igbohun. At Òkè-Ìlá Ọ̀ràngún (as the kingdom was subsequently known), the Ìsẹ̀dó immigrants retained their royal title of Ọba'lúmọ̀ as agreed with Orangun Apakiimo, perhaps maintaining their separateness for some time until they subsequently "federated" or consolidated with the Òkè-Ìlá Ọ̀ràngún kingdom. Within the consolidated Òkè-Ìlá Ọ̀ràngún kingdom hierarchy, the Ọba'lúmọ̀ or Ìsẹ̀dó clan won rights to the additional high title of Ọbaálá (meaning "mighty king" or "senior king") in addition to their royal title of Ọba'lúmọ̀ remaining recognized. This is a significant recognition of the Ọba'lúmọ̀ clan since the Ọbaálá title is next in rank to the Ọ̀ràngún of Òkè-Ìlá (the paramount king of the consolidated city-state), and the holder of the Ọbaálá title automatically becomes high regent on the demise of any reigning Ọ̀ràngún of Òkè-Ìlá, reigning until the next Ọ̀ràngún is installed.Current Status of Ìsẹ̀dó and Ọba'lúmọ̀'s modern role
The Ọba'lúmọ̀'s original Ìsẹ̀dó City-State has been virtually engulfed by the modern Ìlá Ọ̀ràngún, but the clan has maintained the royal title of Ọba'lúmọ̀ in the traditional establishment. The modern Ọba'lúmọ̀ territory, which is now enclosed within Ìlá Òràngún, has about thirteen various sub-clans (or mega-family) compounds. The Ọba'lúmọ̀ clan at Ila, as with the branch of theOba'lumo in consolidated Òkè-Ìlá Ọ̀ràngún
In the consolidated Òkè-Ìlá Ọ̀ràngún state, the Ọba'lúmọ̀ title was contemporaneously established coincident with the creation of the new Oke-Ila state resulting from the split in theAccounting for the Oba'lumo interregnum in Òkè-Ìlá Ọ̀ràngún
However, there are other likely reasons for this long interregnum judging from oral historians accounts of events. One reason may be connected with the internal strife, dissension and conspiracies in the consolidated Òkè-Ìlá Ọ̀ràngún kingdom (possibly caused or exacerbated by the external pressures of military attacks and aggression from theThe incumbent Oba'lumo in Òkè-Ìlá and Ìlá
The Ọba'lúmọ̀ of the Ìsẹ̀dó kingdom at Ìlá Ọ̀ràngún, (Integrating the ancient with the modern
In modern times, the monarchs of the Ìsẹ̀dó clans of the modern Òkè-Ìlá Ọ̀ràngún and Ìlá Ọ̀ràngún (the two extant Ọba'lúmọ̀ royal titles), work jointly with the two high kings, termed paramounts, the Ọ̀ràngún of Òkè-Ìlá and the Ọ̀ràngún of Ìlá, for the development and traditional governance of their various consolidated